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How long does the need to sleep too much last?

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  • How long does the need to sleep too much last?

    We had a good Christmas. Hope everyone else did, too. I am six mos post op and still needing pain meds, though I have cut back to 7.5 milligrams a day. I am ok most of the time, have a working window of seven to eight hours a day when for the most part I am unaware that I had surgery. Christmas was busy. Had one son who flew in from Arizona then we drove 4 hours to visit two of his sisters, drove four hours back the next day. Did ok after the long ride. I had two nights after that I was wired and unable to sleep. Then yesterday afternoon, I collapsed. I had a four hour nap, then went to bed at 830 pm and slept til 9 this morning. I used to do the long sleeps in the first three months post op. Surgeon said they were my healing sleeps. So how long does this unusual need for sleep last? And is it normal?

    Thanks for the input.

    Wendy
    Wendy
    Fusion T6 to S2 with Dr. Carlos Bagley,
    Duke Spine Center
    Surgery Date June 21, 2013

  • #2
    Wendy,
    I wish I could sleep. I am getting 4 hours a day. I am almost 7 weeks post-op and am trying to go off my pain meds all the way. I am down to 1 5mg oxy and using ice to try and deal with the pain. Maybe I'm trying to go of too early.

    Tamena
    Diagnosed at age 12 with a double major curve

    Braced till age 15

    SSBOB T12-L2 Anterior age 34. (October 22,2012) Dr. Robert Gaines Jr. ( Columbia, MO)

    Revision Surgery T2-Sacrum with Pelvic Fixation Prosterior age 35 (November 13,2013) Dr. Michael Kelly (St. Louis, MO)

    Revision Surgery L4/L5 due to BMP Complication age 36 (November 20,2014) Dr. Michael Kelly (St. Louis, Mo)

    Revision Surgery due to broken rod scheduled for October 19, 2016 with Dr. Michael Kelly (St. Louis, MO)

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    • #3
      Wow, weaning too early would be my thought. Pain keeps you awake. If you are using ice, you have pain. I was told my body would let me know when to wean. And in as much as my almost 24 hours of sleep stopped my pain, I just decided to stop the oxy. I have cried like a baby today, but my pain level is zero pretty much. So I am going to tough it out.

      Do you have any sleep medication you could take?

      Praying for you, Tamena.
      Wendy
      Fusion T6 to S2 with Dr. Carlos Bagley,
      Duke Spine Center
      Surgery Date June 21, 2013

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by tae_tap View Post
        Wendy,
        I wish I could sleep. I am getting 4 hours a day. I am almost 7 weeks post-op and am trying to go off my pain meds all the way. I am down to 1 5mg oxy and using ice to try and deal with the pain. Maybe I'm trying to go of too early. Tamena
        Hi Tamena,

        It sounds like you are under medicated at this point…one 5 mg of oxy lasts about 3 hours at best, leaving you without any pain relief the other 21 hours. That may be part of why you're not sleeping, although many of us despaired during the early weeks with our inability to sleep. I know I had a lot of difficulty with this even though I was desperately tired.

        Have you tried adding round the clock tylenol? It actually helped me a lot, and at 7 weeks post-op I was able to take tramadol several times a day along with tylenol round the clock. It is pretty early to be off anything at all. There is really no reason to rush off pain meds too early--just ask me, I did, because I tolerate narcotics so poorly (vomitting and nausea). I suffered a lot of unnecessary pain, and my husband even begged me to take more pain meds because I was in a lot of pain in the early weeks.
        Gayle, age 50
        Oct 2010 fusion T8-sacrum w/ pelvic fixation
        Feb 2012 lumbar revision for broken rods @ L2-3-4
        Sept 2015 major lumbar A/P revision for broken rods @ L5-S1


        mom of Leah, 15 y/o, Diagnosed '08 with 26* T JIS (age 6)
        2010 VBS Dr Luhmann Shriners St Louis
        2017 curves stable/skeletely mature

        also mom of Torrey, 12 y/o son, 16* T, stable

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        • #5
          I was told that sleep allows your body to heal so I never felt guilty about taking an afternoon nap for a long time after my surgery. I would just listen to your body and rest as much as you feel you need to as long as you are walking as much as possible, too.
          Karen

          Surgery-Jan. 5, 2011-Dr. Lenke
          Fusion T-4-sacrum-2 cages/5 osteotomies
          70 degree thoracolumbar corrected to 25
          Rib Hump-GONE!
          Age-60 at the time of surgery
          Now 66
          Avid Golfer & Tap Dancer
          Retired Kdgn. Teacher

          See photobucket link for:
          Video of my 1st Day of Golf Post-Op-3/02/12-Bradenton, FL
          Before and After Picture of back 1/7/11
          tap dancing picture at 10 mos. post op 11/11/11-I'm the one on the right.
          http://s1119.photobucket.com/albums/k630/pottoff2/

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          • #6
            Wendy,
            I slept more than usual at least the first year--maybe 18 months. I would get fatigued easily and need to lie down -- then I was out for a while. I think it's part of the extended healing process. Obviously, if you're still on pain meds, that makes you drowsy, as well. The good news is that you do eventually get your energy back. Though I do still love my naps when I can sneak them in! :-)

            Evelyn
            age 48
            80* thoracolumbar; 40* thoracic
            Reduced to ~16* thoracolumbar; ~0* thoracic
            Surgery 3/14/12 with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis, T4 to S1 with pelvic fixation
            Broken rods 12/1/19; scheduled for revision fusion L1-L3-4 with Dr. Lenke 2/4/2020
            Not "confused" anymore, but don't know how to change my username.

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